Building-block.



W. 5. PHASE. BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

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WILLIAM E. PEASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BUILDING BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August.12, 1912. Serial No. 714,682.

To all whomz't mag concern:

Be it'known that I, WVILLIAM E. PEASE, a cltizen of the United States,resident of Cleveland, county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a newand useful Improvement in Building-Blocks, ofwhich thefollowing is aspecification, the principle of the invention being hereinexplained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple, so as to dis-' tinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to building blocks, and particularly to blocks usedin the construction of the walls of tunnels or subways.

I-Ieretofore, in'the construction of such tunnels 'or subways it hasbeen customary and necessary to utilize 'a temporary wooden backing forholding the soil back, against which the brick or concrete wall wasbuilt, which backing also prevented such wall from being subjected tostrains during the period in which the mortar orconcrete was setting.This backing was also necessary for' the purpose of providing a fixedstructure which. could be used as a rest or base fon driving theshield'in advance of the masonry, as will be understood by those skilled'inthe art. Inasmuch as such backing was entirely covered by themasonry, it could not be removed and the material entering into itsconstruction became a deadloss. Suchmaterial and the labor involved inthe erection of the backing thus became a large element in the cost ofconstruction. In addition to such backing itwas also necessary toprovide a temporary inner structure, for holding the upper oroverhanging portionof the wall in place while setting, the

labor and material involved in the construction of which also formed alarge element in the cost of construction.

The object of my invention is to reduce the cost of tunnel or subwayconstruction by eliminating completely the necessity for the use of suchabove described backing and which will permit the walls to be built withthe use of very little, if any, temporary support, while at the sametime the.

walls will have the necessary strength and water-tight character.

.The said invention consists of means hereinafter fully described andparticularly setforth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth indetailcertain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means,however, constituting'but one of various mechanical forms in which theprin* ciple of my invent-ion may be employed. f

In said annexed drawings :Figure 1 is an end, and Fig. 2 aside elevationof a building block embodying my invention.

' Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section and Fig. 4 a fragmentarylongitudinal section of a tunnel wall embodying my invention. 1

In the illustrated embodiment of my said 1 invention, the wall A isconstructed of tapered blocks Blaid end to'end and side to side, andhaving a thickness equal to the thickness of the wall, as shown in Figs.3 and 4;. Each block has its two opposite side faces 2'), b, and endfaces 5'' Z) each formed with an outer plane port-ion, Z1 6 and b brespectively, and an inner b b and b b respectively.

plane portion,

The plane-portions b and 12 instead of lying "in'the same plane are sosituated that the portions 6 fall inside of the plane of portions 6 asshown in Fig.2 in which the dotted line XX indicates said plane.Likewise portions Z) fall insidethe plane of1portions b as shown in Fig.l in which In other words the plane of portions 5 and '6 intersect,1when producedfthe other end of the block.

As a result of the above-described conthedotted line YY indicates suchplane.

stru'ction, portions 6 of adjacent blocks are in contact. as arealsoportions bias shown at 0 1n Fig. 2; while .portlonsb and b are outof contact, as shownflat' c 1n said figure.

Each plane portion and b is formed with a groove 6 whose 'ends are incommunicatlon as shown and lnwardly ad acent to said grooves are furtherplane portions 6 and b which lie in the-planes of portions 6 and brespectively. These portions .72 and o are. hence in contact as shown at0 Fig. 2.

By means of the described construction, narrow. grooves intersect theinterior surface of the wall and lie between the sides and ends ofadjacent blocks, by means of which oakum may be introduced into thepassages formed by the grooves 72 and the inside joints of the blockscan thus be calked and made water-tight after the struc ture iscompleted and has been in use for a time, if such calking be foundnecessary or desirable.

The outer plane portions 6 and b are formed with grooves 5 whichcommunicate as their ends, and which when contiguous form communicatingpassages of a diameter suflicient to allow, during the course ofconstruction, grouting to be poured therein and to set. The outer jointsare thus rendered water-tight.

That portion of the ends and side faces of the blocks intermediate ofthe plane-portions above described is formed with grooves formingprojections, so arranged that contiguous sldes and contiguous ends ofthe blocks interlock, as will be understood and as shown in Fig. 2. Bymeans of this interlocking feature the blocks sup-port each other, andno mortar or cement binder is therefore required. As soon as a course islaid it is complete and may hence be used as a base for forcing theshield forward. The necessity of much if any tempo rary structure forsupporting overhanging blocks, is hence also obviously eliminated. Inaddition it will also be seen that the peculiar shape of joint betweenthe blocks, adds materially in strengthening the walls and also inmaking same water-tight.

In practice I find it desirable to make the grooves b about one-halfinch and grooves b one inch in diameter.

In the event that the previously-described calking with oakum or thelike be found, in after years, to be necessary and is resorted to,thepassages formed by grooves b prevent the calking material from beingblown outby water-pressure from the exterior. Such necessity for calkingmay arise by reason of settlement of the wall after completion of thetunnel, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

I also prefer, in order to add to the watertight feature of the joints,to apply a coating of pitch or the like to the grooved intermediatesurfaces of the blocks.

Having fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a building blockhaving grooved end and side face-portions and a plane portion adjacentto each of said grooved face-portions; each of said plane portions beingprovided with a groove; such last-named grooves communicating with eachother at their ends.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a building block having grooved endand side face-portions and a plane portion adjacent to both the innerand outer ends of said grooved face-portions.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a building block having grooved endand side face-portions and a plane portion adjacent.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a

building block having plane face-portions adjacent to one end of eachface and in different parallel planes, together with a groove separatingsuch portions.

6. A tunnel-wall consisting of contiguous blocks having interlockingside and end facep0rtions; outer plane face-portions in contact andinner plane face-portions out of contact; said inner plane face-portionsbeing provided with grooves having their ends in communication with eachother.

7. A tunnel-wall consisting of contiguous blocks having interlockingside and end face-portions; an outer plane face-portion on each side andend of each of said blocks, adjacent outer plane-portions of contiguousblocks being in contact; an inner plane faceportion on each side and endof each of such blocks, adjacent inner plane-portions of contiguousblocks being out of contact; the inner plane face-portions of each blockbeing provided with grooves having their ends in communication with eachother.

Signed by me this 8th day of August 1912.

W. E. PEASE.

Attested by WM. ROTHENBERG, A. EQMERKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

